Renowned naturopathic expert Dr. Hyman recommends magnesium for migraines, and we couldn’t agree more! Magnesium and vitamin B deficiencies are just a few examples of migraine triggers that the groundbreaking physician addresses in his most recent report on migraine treatments that work.
Migraine triggers
Migraines are a neurological illness that plagues millions of people all around the globe. Despite the rising incidence of migraine disorder in individuals of all cultures, there yet remains no actual cure for migraines.
Rather, prevention is in important key in managing migraines; by reducing the number of migraine triggers in your life, you have a better chance of avoiding migraine attacks and minimizing the impact that migraines have on your life.
Natural suggestions
In his article on effective ways to prevent migraines, Dr. Hyman suggests two nutrients that are included in most natural migraine supplements: magnesium and vitamin B2 (riboflavin).
Here are his 5 recommendations for preventing migraines:
1) Magnesium
A startling number of migraine patients suffer from magnesium deficiency without even realizing it. Magnesium relaxes the muscles, and a deficiency naturally results in frequent headaches and an increase in underlying migraine attacks. In his practice, he regularly prescribes magnesium for chronic migraine headache patients with excellent results, without the need for painkillers.
2) Vitamin B2
Another deficiency he mentions is riboflavin; Dr. Hyman has seen where prescribing vitamin B2 supplementation has helped a vast number of his migraine patients, and he recommends it often.
3) Restrictive dieting
It’s not always clear which foods are responsible for triggering migraines, as it differs for each individual. For that reason, it’s helpful to experiment with removing certain foods from your diet for a few weeks or one month, and see what happens when they’re reintroduced. You may find that an allergy to wheat, dairy, or even eggs is behind most of your migraine attacks!
4) Gluten-free
It’s controversial, but a rising number of people have found that removing gluten from their diet has resulted in better health, including reduction or complete elimination of chronic illness ailments such as migraines headaches and joint pain. To prevent inflammation from gluten, Dr. Hyman suggests avoiding gluten from wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt.
5) Hormones
If your migraines are hormonal, then your chances of preventing migraines are better if you take the time to relax, increase exercise, sleep better, and avoid alcohol, sugar, and starches.
About Dr. Hyman
Dr. Hyman authored the term “functional medicine” as a revolutionary means of finding the root cause of all chronic illness, including migraines, without depending solely on conventional prescription medications and “western” approaches to chronic care.
Functional medicine combines the best of both worlds- natural alternative complementary medicine treatments that don’t discard essential modern medical discoveries of the day.
Dr. Hyman has received many awards for his medical achievements, and currently holds a position as medical editor at the Huffington Post.
Tell us about yourself!
Have you tried experimenting with natural approaches to migraine therapy? Some popular nutrients include riboflavin, butterbur, coenzyme Q10, and magnesium.
How often do you get migraine headaches? Do you get migraine attacks without the headache?
Would you consider using natural treatments to reduce your need for pain relievers such as ibuprofen and opioids?
Please leave your comments below!
You’ll also like:
The 4 Best Vitamins to Help Headaches
Top 25 Natural Migraine Treatments: Vitamins, Minerals, and Herb
Image courtesy of Naypong